I think it is time to get out. Lock, stock and barrel. Iraq? No, Germany. We spend millions of dollars in the German economy because of our presence there with military and support troops. Originally the troops were there to help protect the Allied countries against the possibility of Soviet aggression. We spent thousand of lives destroying the Nazi war machine, freeing most of Europe from occupation and then untold billions rebuilding Germany and Europe after the devastation of that war. Because of our past actions in the Cold War, the Berlin Wall came down and Germany was re-united and many Eastern Block countries are now democratic, with more becoming so.
The old saying that no good deed goes unpunished is apparent and the anti-American feelings in Europe and in Germany in particular brings that old saying new meaning. Davids Medienkritik has an eye opening post about some of the latest actions of our friends the Germans and links to many German news outlets that makes my point.
There can only be one response to this: America needs to pull its troops, families and money out of Germany and keep pulling them out until this stops. There are plenty of other nations in Europe where American troops would be welcomed with open arms and where American financial investments would be greatly appreciated.
He also adds this:
More than anyone else, the German government and media have allowed America-hate to get out of control to this extent. So it is particularly ironic that an SPD mayor is so worried and appalled at what is happening. It is equally ironic that SPIEGEL ONLINE, of all news outlets, is reporting on this matter with such a concerned and worried tone. This all represents nothing more than the chickens coming home to roost...reaping what you sow.
Perhaps these groups will finally realize that they have spread the seeds of anti-Americanism to the point that even Nazis can successfully exploit the sad phenomena. Soon the growing Fascist movement in Germany will be able to intimidate and threaten American families in Grafenwoehr.
I'd bet Poland would love to have our troops, support and money as would many others whose memory of US help hasn't faded.
Yey Another staw on the camel comes from Spiegel Online.
"Germany's highest ranking female member of parliament has a new theory: the US government set the Catholic pedophilia scandal in motion because it wanted to weaken an already frail pope. That's also why it made Poland its chief partner in the Iraq war: to make the Vatican look bad."The person in question is Antje Vollmer, the Green Party member and, more importantly, the vice-president of Germany's Parliament, the Bundestag. (via Chrenkoff)
"As a guest on the weekly talk show 'Berlin Mitte,' Vollmer seemed to be starting off with the right intentions. She spoke of the 'wonderful image' of President George Bush, his son President George W. Bush and President Bill Clinton before the body of the pope in St. Peter's Basilica. But then, out of nowhere, she veered straight off a cliff.
"Her theory? It seems the U.S. had to do something to weaken the influence of the pope, who was an outspoken opponent of the war in Iraq. Vollmer finds it all very suspicious that after the war, 'Poland was made a top occupying power in Iraq, naturally to weaken the pope's hinterland. Or how then, of all times, the campaign against the Catholic Church and the pedophilia was started, which was, of course, totally justified, but at this point in time was definitely a tit-for-tat response.' Vollmer found it somehow strange that the US presidents traveled to the Vatican despite the 'tough power struggles'." [And the Caravan moves on.]
